Providing information, education, and training to build knowledge, develop skills, and change attitudes that will lead to increased independence, productivity, self determination, integration and inclusion (IPSII) for people with developmental disabilities and their families.

BOSTON,
MASSACHUSETTS -- The state has been ordered to pay fees and expenses totaling
nearly $700,000 to three lawyers who sued on behalf of parents of children and
adults with mental retardation.

U.S. District Judge Douglas Woodlock ruled earlier this week that the
state would pay Neil McKittrick, Carol Rose and David Friedman $674,504 in
attorneys fees and $23,112 in expenses.

That amount is $100,000 more than the lawyers had requested.

The lawyers represented parents of people who had waited for placements
in community-based services, some for as long as 30 years. As part of the
settlement, the Department of Mental Retardation agreed to provide services for
more than 2,000 people over five years, according to the Boston Globe.

The attorneys took the case at no expense to the parents, but were
allowed to seek attorney fees from the state after winning the settlement.

''People came to us and we agreed to represent them pro bono,"
McKittrick said. "We never charged them a penny. Because we won, we were
entitled to receive those fees.''

The GCDD is funded under the provisions of P.L. 106-402. The federal law also provides funding to the Minnesota Disability Law Center,the state Protection and Advocacy System, and to the Institute on Community Integration, the state University Center for Excellence. The Minnesota network of programs works to increase the IPSII of people with developmental disabilities and families into community life.